Commodities Provide Bountiful Harvest. 
From bell peppers to zucchini, there's a plethora 
of products growing in Georgia.

By Cappy Tosetti

This article was first published in the October, 2000 issue of Produce Business. Our appreciation to Produce Business for their promotion of Georgia fruit and vegetables and allowing us to reprint the article in it's entirety here on the web page.

At that table, folks would agree, Georgia knows how to roll out the red carpet with good wholesome food and fine southern hospitality. 

Sixteen commodities (listed in alphabetical order) top the production chart in Georgia (see related table showing the cash values of the top Georgia crops).

Super-rich in antioxidant vitamin C and a great food for fighting off colds, asthma, bronchitis, macular degeneration, angina, arteriosclerosis and cancer. Green, red and yellow peppers are widely available in Georgia from mid-May through mid-December, grown primarily in the southwest region of the state.

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Bursting with antioxidants, vitamin C, iron and fiber, the Rabbiteye blueberry is a native of the Northern Hemisphere and has been commercially grown in Georgia since the 1940Õs, when Dr. Tom Brightwell at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station at Tifton developed an incredible assortment of large-sized sweet cultivars. Georgia blueberries are grown primarily in the southern region of the state around Alma and Baxley. The harvest season for fresh blueberries is mid-April through July.

Packed with nutrition, ounce for ounce, cabbage provides as much vitamin C as orange juice. This versatile vegetable is known for its natural anti-ulcer components that relieve pain and heal gastric ulcers and scientists suggest juicing and drinking at least a quart a day. Cabbage, a member of the cruciferous family, may also reduce the risk of some forms of cancer. In Georgia, cabbage is available virtually year-round, but primarily harvested in the spring and fall. The main varieties are smooth-leaved green cabbage, crinkled-leaved green Savoy cabbage, and red cabbage.

A carrot a day can slash the risk of stroke by 70%. They're a rich source of beta carotene, a powerful anti-cancer, artery-protecting, immune-boosting, infection-fighting antioxidant, and munching on two or three a day can lower one's cholesterol by 10 to 20%. No wonder rabbits are so healthy! Imagine getting all those health benefits and the delicious taste of Georgia sweet carrots at the same time. Count on a good crop this year with harvesting beginning just before Christmas, continuing all the way into June. Grown in the southern region of the state. 

Related to pumpkins, squashes, gourds, and melons, cucumbers are 95% water, have no fat, sodium and very few calories. Georgia has a long growing season, primarily harvested in the southern part of the state. Fresh cukes are available from mid-May through November.

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An excellent source of the antioxidant vitamins, A, C, and E, which play a role in reducing the risk of heart disease and some forms of cancer. Greens are a rich source of folic acid, beta carotene, and they're low in calories, fat and sodium. Four popular varieties are commercially grown in Georgia: Collard greens, with their wide leaves and cabbage-like flavor; Kale Ñ featuring ruffly, greenish blue-to-green leaves with a mild cabbage flavor; Mustard greens, with oval-shaped, frilled or scalloped-edged leaves, having sharp taste; and Turnip greens Ñ thin, dark green leaves with a distinct, but pleasant bite. Georgia greens, grown statewide, are available virtually year-round, with the highest volume harvested from September through June.

Bursting with potassium, beta carotene, vitamins A, B6, and C. Cantaloupes originated in Persia. The word comes from the Italian cantaluppi,  the name of a former papal summer residence near Rome where the fruit was once cultivated. Georgia cantaloupe is available from May through October, growing predominately in the southern and south-central regions of the state.

Georgia is called the Peach State for good reason. More than 2.5 million trees on about 20,000 acres can produce 160 million pounds of fruit in an average year. Georgia produces more than 40 commercial varieties of peaches, divided into two general categories: freestone, which readily breaks away from the pit, and clingstone, which holds fast. Peaches were first grown in Georgia during the colonial period of the 1700's, and after the Civil War, peach growers developed superior new varieties, which boosted the commercial peach industry. Georgia's first famous peach variety was the Elberta. Peaches are a rich source of fiber and include many nutrients, including riboflavin, which is good for the eyes.

Think pecans, and visions of decadent pecan pies and Thanksgiving turkey dressing come to mind, but there's more to this nut than rich holiday food. Nutrition researchers have discovered that eating as few as 3/4 cup of pecans a day significantly reduces LDL cholesterol and helps prevent heart disease. In 1890, Nelson Tift planted 25,000 pecan trees near Albany, Georgia. In 1920, with more than one million trees in the vicinity, Albany brought in a harvest of 2.5 million pounds of pecans. By the 1950Õs the state led the nation in pecan harvest and continues the same today. More than 500 varieties are harvested from September to late December.

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A curious question. Why is this legume called a string bean (also known as a green bean) when its origin came about from Americans desiring a string-less, fiber-less pod to eat back in the 1700Õs? Whatever the reason, it's one of the nation's most popular beans, low in calories, and a good source of fiber. In Georgia, snap beans are grown primarily in the central and southern parts of the state, with production from April to mid-November.

What would summer be without the crunchy taste of corn on the cob? Corn is another great source of vitamin C, with anti-cancer, anti-viral activities and estrogen-boosting capabilities. Sweet corn is grown in every county in Georgia, making it the most widely grown crop in the state. It is available all summer long, from May through mid-October.

A major source of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant and anticancer agent. Tomatoes are linked in particular to lower rates of pancreatic and cervical cancer. Another good source of vitamin A and C. In Georgia, tomatoes are available from May through November and one of the state's top cash crops.

The most recognized sweet onion in the world, the Vidalia Onion, began in Toombs County in 1931, when a farmer, Mose Coleman, discovered his crop of onions weren't pungent and hot. Other farmers started planting this sweet onion, and in the 1940's, consumers stopping by the Farmers Market in Vidalia coined the name. In 1986, Georgia's state legislature passed legislation giving the rcially in southern Georgia from mid-April through November.

• Apples
• Beans and butter beans (lima) and pole beans
• Chile peppers
• Eggplant
• Grapes, bunch, Muscadines
• Peas and English and field
• Okra
• Onions and baby green Vidalias
• Pumpkins
• Strawberries
• Sweet potatoes
• Turnips and bunch and green.